Kernschatten remarked about “things being a little slow†recently, and I think I agree – maybe we’re all waiting for the impending Ostermark campaign.
In the meantime let’s see if I can generate something a bit different.
Sunday was ‘Mother’s Day’ in the UK, and around 4.00pm, with duty done, Mother wined and dined, and returned to her home, my boys doing the washing up for their Mum, I retired to the games room, and pondered the empty table.
I’d seen a comment from Atch about “500 Orcs and Goblin modelsâ€, and eight hours later, at midnight, I was looking at a very full table.
I had emptied the cupboards and shelves and laid out my Empire ‘collection’, and started an inventory.
Do you say you have a “insert any state name†army, when you can field any size force, or when you can field ALL units from the Empire Army list, and thus have the variety of all options available?
I have the basis of 4/5 Empire armies:
My Kislev themed Empire List Army, with the contingent units.
An Altdorf army.
An Averland Army.
And a Cult of Ulric Army, which turns fairly easily into a Middenland Army
I said basis because I do not feel that I have one
complete army.
I have painted some 550 empire figures, which laid out on the table, in their 4 army blocks, I think is quite a lot, BUT that’s about 60 % of my total, which means that 40% are unpainted.
Worse still I’ve got another 60 odd, on the ‘production line’, virtually modelled and close to undercoating.
I wonder if this is unusual?
There is a perversity about the hobby, that new models/army lists/themes appear all the time.
It may even be a conspiracy. “Average given time to construct 2000-2500 point army†versus “New Army list/theme/tweakâ€
As a naïve newbie I started with Altdorf then discovered I had too many of some core troops (eg. Halberdiers
), and then thought I’ll have a second state – Averland. I liked the Averland theme better, so Altdorf went to the back of the project list, and I did a few Knights, then I discovered Kislev, of course, before the Averlanders were fully finished.
My Kislevites are probably the closest to a ‘complete’ army. I built initially with the fluff in mind, but then found I wanted/needed to play from the option of a full army list. So I needed crossbowmen and pistoliers, and then I probably need to add another unit of swordsmen (thanks guys).
Somewhere in between I got seduced by the ‘imagery’ of Warrior Priests, and then I was just too vulnerable to the Cult of Ulric, which is just to close to the Middenland list, not to just try a few more units to allow both.
Therein lies the problem.
When ‘New to the Empire’ members appear on the forums, what do we generally say. "Start slowly, play a few small games, get used to the troop types. Read the War Room articles – decide if you want to play Infantry or Cavalry or Balanced………….."
Well this ‘mug’
looks at the list and says I’ll make some of every unit, and then see what happens.
Then after 7 or 8 years, he finds WE.com and he finds that what he probably needs is another EIGHT big blocks of swordsmen for each of his 4 armies.
So I have done my inventory.
I have reviewed each army and decided what needs doing – the list is a LONG one.
An excess of handgunners and halberdiers will probably suffer amputation of their arms, and replacement by all those spare sword arms and shields.
I could paint 4 hours every night, and still not be finished by Christmas.
The only temporary respite I have given myself is based on the following thought process.
Look at the concept of a ‘state’ army.
State troops are Swordsmen/Halberdiers/Spearmen/Handgunners.
The rest of the foot core units which are referred to as ‘Militia’ could easily be modelled without any ‘state’ colours/reference.
Knights are an ‘Order’, and Greatswords are sufficient of an elite unit to be painted separately.
Pistoliers too, as ‘sons of nobles’ can maintain an air of individuality.
Thus my Militia 'units' and Knights and Pistoliers can 'double up'.
When it comes to war machines, I decided I would use an Altdorf style Red and Blue ( though different red and blue to my state troops) for all my artillery and claim they were ‘Engineers School’ seconded to the relevant state, except for my Kislevites where I use Bronzinov’s boys converted appropriately. Thus I have 3 Cannons, 2 Mortars, and I HBVG painted up.
[and 4, 4 and 2 NOT painted up, so I could do 2,2, and 1 each for Averland and Middenland (as a ‘state’ not SoC!]
[But what if I want 4 cannons in the same 2000pts army?
]
Am I alone in my quandary? I know we have members who have played a lot longer than me, and my model count is probably tame in comparison to some of you 'collectors'.
Who can lay claim to the oldest model still not finished up.
Will I ever get to the end of my list?
Will this post ever end?
?…………Yes.
